The fear of losing control
by Alicia Mirza
Summary: Lily Evans doesn't like failure, not even when it involves flying and Quidditch. She isn't one to accept help, after all she doesn't need it. However, maybe a certain James Potter can manage to help her with her fear. A one-shot written for The 'Easily Bruised' Competition by Fire The Canon. Lily/James


**This one-shot was written for: Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges - Fire The Canon: ****The 'Easily Bruised' Competition**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, all rights go to J.K. Rowling.**

The fear of losing control

"_Someone came an swept me off my feet in midflight"_

She looked up and her emerald green eyes were radiating pure intrepidity. She sighed and she looked around, checking if anyone was around. She nodded slowly when she noticed that she was completely alone. That was good, she didn't need audience.

She looked down at the worn-out, old broom on which probably Professor Dumbledore learned to fly in his first year at Hogwarts. She frowned at the sight, but she tried to ignore it as much as she could. Where was her famous Gryffindor courage when she needed it?

"Up," she said and she stuck her right hand over the broom just as she was told to do years before. She wasn't even surprised that the broom only rolled over the ground. At least it did something, when she was a first year, it didn't even move at all.

She frowned in concentration and tried again.

"Up," she told the old broom seriously which didn't jump into her hand, but at least it did something close to it.

"Don't be frustrated, it won't ever work that way," she heard a voice she knew well and she frowned. He wasn't actually what she needed at the moment.

"Please, leave me alone, James," she said, but she didn't turn around. She didn't want to face the Quidditch champion James Potter; she didn't want to accept that she needed help with something, that she couldn't do something which he could.

"I just want to help you, Lil," he said and he stepped closer. A few months ago she would have shouted with him, curse him for giving her nicknames, but her opinion on him has changed. They were more than housemates, more than colleagues, more than the Head students, they were _friends_.

"I don't want to hex you Potter, but if you don't leave me alone, I swear...," she started and she turned around to face the boy. The problem was that he was way closer than she thought. She blushed when she noticed their closeness and embarrassedly took a step backwards while James was grinning, his hazel eyes were shining, and Lily didn't fail to notice that.

"You know, you could learn from a living legend," James said with a cocky smile and Lily rolled her eyes.

"You know, Potter, you are so pompous that you don't even need a broom to fly," the redhead told the grinning boy who laughed.

"You never fail to amaze me, Lils. It's a pleasure to spend time with you," the black-haired boy told the girl right in front of him who blushed and lowered her eyes. Once again, even a few weeks ago that would have earned James Potter quite few curses, but things have changed. Their relationship has changed and none of them seemed to mind it.

"I don't want audience, James," she said simply in hope of making the boy understand that she needed space and she wanted to be alone. However, James Potter was stubborn and a bit spoiled; he liked to do what he wanted and he didn't like others ordering him around.

"I'm your professor, Lils," he said simply and he stepped closer. For a moment Lily thought that he was going to kiss her, but James only bended down and grabbed the broom which was next to Lily on the ground.

"You will need this, you know," he said and Lily rolled her eyes.

"I could have never guessed that I need a broom to fly on one," she said sarcastically and James was only smiling at her with a wide grin on his face.

"That's why I'm here, Princess," he said and the redhead glared at him.

"You never fail to enrage me, Potter. My names is Lily Evans and no, I'm not a princess, nor do I have any royal relatives," the redhead said sweetly grabbed the broom from his hands.

"Let me teach you," James said simply and Lily grimaced.

"I can manage without you," the girl simply said and James was just smiling.

"Then grab that broom, take off and do some tricks. What do you think of a somersault?" James asked innocently but at the same time challengingly, like he had no idea that Lily had actually a problem with flying on brooms.

"Go to hell, Potter," Lily muttered.

"Will do," James grinned stupidly.

"I don't like flying, okay?" Lily sighed and crossed her arms in front of herself. James looked at her curiously and he continued it more seriously.

"I thought that you love flying? You told me about the unbelievable tricks you did with the swings when you were small," James stated softly and fixed his hazel eyes on Lily who didn't look at me.

"It-It's different you know. I'm always afraid that I can't control the broom. When you do it, it seems so easy, but I can't even make it to do the simplest things," she said referring to her previous failure and James seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"You don't have acrophobia," James stated and Lily nodded.

"No," she said slowly as she was suspicious of James who had a very strange look on his face which she didn't like.

"You aren't afraid of flying, just that you won't be able to control your broom," he said again and Lily looked at him as he was crazy.

"That's what I have just told you," she agreed.

"I have a good idea," James stated and Lily grimaced.

"I hate when you have a _'good idea'_. Last time you said that we ended up in the Dungeons at three in the morning," she said with a frown and James was only smiling (creepily).

"Okay, maybe that wasn't my greatest idea, but hey, even a genius, like me can make a mistake," James said completely seriously and Lily came to realize that eye-rolling wasn't enough anymore, she face palmed.

"Air bladder," she muttered, but James heard her.

"Hey," he exclaimed furiously and Lily was just laughing at him.

"So back to my fabulous plan," he started but the redhead looked at him in a questioningly.

"Really, James?" she asked and he just smiled goofily.

"You will sit right behind me and I will control the broom," James said seriously and fixed his hazel eyes on Lily, he even tilted his head a bit. The witch looked down for a moment and the sighed.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked in a bit shakily and James nodded softly.

"I won't let anything to happen to you," he said solemnly and smiled at her kindly.

"No, tricks and absolutely no somersault," Lily stated and James chuckled.

"What about a back flip?" he asked cheekily but the nasty look which he gave was enough to stop smiling.

"You are terrifying, Evans," he stated simply and Lily smiled at him mysteriously.

"It took you long enough to realize it," she replied in mock-seriousness.

"Maybe you should have told me sooner," he said in the same tone and she rolled her eyes and smiled at him cheekily.

"Maybe, but then you wouldn't be here now," she simply stated and he shook his head in amusement.

"I'm always going to be right next to you, Lils," he said and he fixed his big hazel eyes on her. She blushed and looked away as she understood that he wasn't mocking her, he actually meant what he has just said to her.

"How would you know that?" she asked quietly and looked at him questioningly.

"I can't know that," he said after a moment of silence in which Lily thought that he won't answer her question. She frowned at his answer and James smiled cheekily at her disappointed expression," but I will always try," he ended his sentence with a grin on his face.

"You are still very childish, Potter," Lily said seriously and looked at James with compassion who was still grinning.

"But that's the way you love me," he stated and she rolled her eyes.

"You wish," she said seriously.

"I wish," James said softly and he took a small step closer and brushed a lack of red hair out of Lily's face who was redder than her hair.

"Leave me alone, James, will you?" she asked and looked away embarrassedly. James raised her chins softly and carefully so she would look at him.

"Never," he answered seriously and he leaned closer and kissed the girl in front of him softly. However, that wasn't the surprising thing. Lily actually didn't push him away, didn't curse him and didn't start shouting loudly.

"You owe me a flying lesson, Potter," the redhead stated to the grinning James when the kiss ended.

"As you wish, madam. I fear my life and I wouldn't want to have any debt," the boy said in mock seriousness and Lily just chuckled.

"You owe me a date too," she said simply, put the broom down on the ground and turned around and left the dumbfounded boy on the Quidditch pitch alone. He stood there for a moment like a statue until he understood what has just happened and when he woke up from the shock he started running in the direction of the school.

"Lily! Lily, hey wait up!" he shouted to the laughing girl who was walking carelessly towards the castle having a really good time.

"I might have changed my mind," she told him sweetly when he reached her out of puff, but James Potter wasn't so easy to get rid of, not when the girl he has fancied for years actually offered to go on a date with. He stopped Lily and stood in her way and in second without any sign, he leaner closer and kissed her.

"Moony! Do you see that?" Lily and James heard the unmistakable voice of Sirius Black from not enough far, but didn't care.

"Leave them alone, Paddy. Prongs will kill you if you ruin this for him," Remus Lupin answered his friend dragging the boy in awe from the kissing couple. When the much more passionate kiss ended James smiled goofily and looked at Lily.

"What would you say for a flying date?" he asked while grinning and Lily blushed.

"When?" she asked curiously and James took her right hand.

"Now. You know a broom is still waiting for us on the ground," he said and the girl nodded. The two of them walked back to the Quidditch pitch hand in hand where as Lily later told her friends, something _magical_ has happened.

Flying on brooms was never a problem for Lily after that...

She didn't have a fear of losing control anymore.

James Potter was a good teacher.

A good friend.

And a fabulous boyfriend.


End file.
